Category Archives: Duke Football

Duke Football

Ohio WR Tres Barksdale was impressed by his visit to Duke

Ohio WR Tres Barksdale was impressed by his visit to Duke

With Duke’s prolific passing offense, it’s no surprise that the Blue Devils have had success recruiting and developing talented wide receivers in Durham, most notably All-ACC performers Eron Riley, Donovan Varner, and Conner Vernon. The Blue Devils hope to continue that trend in the class of 2012, and have been scouting throughout the country in search of receiving talent. One prospect who has stood out so far is Tres Barksdale, a 6’2” 180 pound receiver from Solon, Ohio. Prior to breaking his foot during his junior season, Barksdale was regarded as one of the top receiving prospects in the state, and has been in contact with Midwest powerhouses such as Ohio State, Michigan and Notre Dame. Highlights of his abbreviated junior season can be viewed here. The talented receiver made the trip to Durham for Junior Day and came away impressed with the Duke program.

BDN: Can you start out by describing some of your strengths as a receiver?

I’m around 6’2”, and my really big thing in a game is going up and getting the ball over people, using my size, get around people and go for the ball.

BDN: What are some of the things you’ve been working on this offseason?

Well, I actually broke my foot this year, so I was out for the last seven games of this season, but I’ve been really working on getting – like increasing my explosion to even up to better than it was when I broke my foot, because I feel that’s one of the things that kind of went down when I broke my foot, my explosion.  So I’ve really been working on that, and my quickness, like getting off the ball and being quick with my routes, I’ve really tried to critique.

BDN: What are some of the goals you have for your senior season this fall?

Well, I’m starting off with being back and being fully healthy, and then from there I’m hoping I can be a big impact player, and my coach will look to me to be a leader, and I feel like I’m hopefully going to be an impact, like someone other teams will look out for, and put a lot of effort into covering me.  That’s my big thing, to make people work to cover me, and make it be a big deal in games.

BDN: What are the most important factors you are considering as you look at colleges?

The most important factor would probably be a question of how comfortable I feel at the school, and then also like academics is a big thing too for me, so like how comfortable I feel at the school, and how I feel around my classmates at the school, and also how the academics are, and how I fit in with the football program.  I think the coaches, if I feel really comfortable with the coaches, I can be open with the coaches and talk to them.

BDN: Is there an academic field you are interesting in studying?

Something with medical, probably.  In the medical field.

BDN: What schools have you been in contact with the most so far? Who were some of the first schools to contact you?

In general, well by Duke, and then with Wisconsin, Illinois, Notre Dame, Boston College, Texas A&M, and then there’s a couple like Ohio State, and then – Michigan, Northwestern.  And Penn State too.

BDN: What schools have you had a chance to visit so far?

I’ve visited Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, and Notre Dame.  And I have visited Duke. And I also visited Northwestern.

BDN: Have any of those schools stood out to you at this point in the process, either on your visits or your contact with the coaches?

I was actually really impressed with Duke. Duke really stood out to me, like the coaches were, seemed like really good guys, campus was really nice.  Academically, it’s a great school, so that was a big deal to me.  Like I have – I liked how they were, in the future where they’re looking to go, they’re really working to get there, and they’re just looking to the future and will do anything to get there.  And then also Ohio State I really liked, like I really like the football facility.  I liked how it was closer to home, so I could get there, so it’s easy for my parents to get there, so they can see me play.  And also, I liked Notre Dame, the campus was unbelievable.  Like that’s what I really felt, the campus was just so nice.  And then Michigan, I liked the atmosphere at the game, the atmosphere at the game was unreal.  Everything about the game was just like, “Oh my gosh, this is big time football, this is the place to be.”

BDN: Do you have plans for any additional visits this spring or summer?

Yeah, in 2 weeks I’m visiting Wisconsin, over – and then after I’m not sure where else I might go up to visit.  And then over the summer I’m probably gonna take a trip down to Duke Camp, and try to get to the Duke Camp and UNC camp all in one trip, and then maybe NC State, like all in one trip down there.  And then Boston College, I’ll probably go see my grandparents, go see them and try to go to that camp.  And then Ohio State, Penn State, and Wisconsin, and then Illinois, around all those.  Yeah, it’s gonna be a busy summer.

BDN: At this point in the process, do you have an idea for when you want to make your college decision?

My thing is I don’t know exactly, ‘cause it’s really gonna be when – I think I’ll be able to feel where I’m comfortable, and if that’s later in the process, then that’s gonna be later.  But if it’s sooner, if it is, I’ll make the most of my opportunities and go from there.  Yeah, see how it plays out, but I’m not sure.

BDN: Is there anything else you think is important for college football fans to know about you?

As a person, it’s really just my hard work, and I’m always willing to give every ounce of effort I can, no matter if I’m sore, tired, I don’t feel like I can do it, I’m always going to put all the effort I have is doing something, and never give up.

Duke Football

Florida LB Kory Williams loved everything about Duke on Junior Day

LB Kory Williams has heard from Duke, Ole Miss, and Georgia Tech

Kory Williams is a 5’11” 220 pound linebacker from Jacksonville, Florida. As a leader on the Providence High School defense and fullback on offense, he helped his team into the playoffs as a junior. While he’s still early in the recruiting process, he’s already heard from a few schools in the ACC and SEC. He took a visit to Duke for Junior Day in January and “loved everything about it.”

BDN: Can you start off by describing the strengths and weaknesses of your game for someone who hasn’t had a chance to see you play?

Well, I’m 5’11” 220 middle linebacker. My coaches say I hit like a freight train. I don’t have running-back type speed, but I do play a little fullback and carry the ball some. I am one of the fastest guys on our team, but not the fastest. I have pretty good feet. I react well to the ball and I just always find myself to the ball.

BDN: What are some of the things you’ve been working on this offseason?

I’ve been working with Lonnie Marts, former linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs and [Jacksonville] Jaguars, to get my agility better, my feet better, working to get faster and my reaction to the ball a little better.

BDN: What are some of the goals you have for yourself and your team this fall?

For my team, I would like to, I know we’ll make it to the playoffs, but we’re in harder classification this year so it will be a little bit harder, but I believe we could make it to state. For myself, I would like to have over 100 tackles, a couple interceptions, and 10 sacks.

BDN: What are the most important things you are looking for in a college?

Mainly, the education, because life after football – I’d like to have a great education to get me in somewhere that I can have a great job and support a family later down the road. Also, I’ll be looking for how well I fit in with the college, like the campus style, and the coaches, and how early I could play.

BDN: What schools have you recently heard from? Who were the first schools to contact you?

The first schools that were contacting me were Indiana, Iowa State and Ole Miss. The past couple weeks I’ve been getting stuff from Georgia Tech and he came down to our school the other day and I met the recruiter for our area from Georgia Tech.

BDN: Can you talk a little about the schools you have been able to visit recently?

I’ve only been to Duke this past weekend. During the season I had the chance to go to an Ole Miss game, but I got the mail late and didn’t have a chance to make the trip out there.

BDN: Do you have any plans for other visits this spring or summer?

I’d love to go visit Duke again. I just love it – I loved everything about it up there. I’m looking to go to Duke’s camp this summer, and looking forward to going to Ole Miss, Tennessee, and Georgia Tech as well.

BDN: It’s still very early in the process, but ideally, when would you like to make your college decision?

I think that when I get an offer that suits me well and has most of the things or all of the things I’m looking for, I would commit if it’s the right choice that God has planned out for me. I would be looking to commit either after the season or during the season.

BDN: Is there anything else you think is important for ACC football fans to know about you?

On the defense, they labeled me as a leader at mike linebacker, a vocal linebacker that gets my team straight. Out of all the people I have in front of me at the line and the outside linebackers, I would get them situated as well as the safeties. But I mainly have the front line and the linebackers, myself. I’m on all special teams. Coaches love to have me on the field looking to hit somebody or make a tackle. I love the feeling when it’s 4th and 1 and the coach is telling me he wants a brick wall, he wants us to get the ball back, he counts on me to get my team ready and motivated and to stop them and get us off the field.

BDN: Thanks a lot, Kory and best of luck to you.

Alright, thank you, you too.

Duke Football

Duke stands out to DE prospect Allen Jackson

Allen Jackson is receiving interest from many ACC and SEC schools

While Duke is working hard to improve their defense on the field this spring, the coaching staff is also working hard to upgrade the defense with a talented group of prospects in the class of 2012. Allen Jackson is a 6’5” 225 pound defensive end prospect from Owings Mills, Maryland. Playing defensive end and tight end for McDonogh High School, Allen earned All-Conference honors as a junior, and has already received offers from Duke, Maryland, Vanderbilt, and West Virginia. Highlights from Allen’s junior year can be viewed here.

 

BDN: Can you start off by describing your strengths for fans who haven’t had a chance to see you play?

As a player, I definitely think I use my hands and my quickness definitely to my ability, but I definitely think I play more of a finesse game than a power game, but I definitely see my hands and my quickness off the ball, as a strength of mine.

BDN: What are some of the things you’re working on this offseason?

Off-season, it’s just trying to be quicker off the ball, and trying to become stronger, and at the next level that’s going to be one of the things I’m going to continue to work on as well.

BDN: What are your goals for your senior season?

Senior year, I want to be all-state, I want to have at least 15 sacks in a year, I just want to dominate.

BDN: As you approach your college decision, what are the most important things you are looking for in a school?

Definitely how I get along with the coaches, and how prestigious they are in their academics, and certainly how far they are from my family.

BDN: Who are the schools you have heard from the most so far? Who were the first schools to contact you?

Definitely Maryland was the first to contact me, and Duke as well, I’ve heard the most from them, but those were my first two scholarship offers, I’ve heard a lot from some some SEC schools, and a lot of the ACC schools as well.

BDN: Have you had a chance to visit any schools?

I’ve visited Maryland and Duke.

BDN: Do you have any plans for additional visits this spring or summer?

Duke has stood out to DE Allen Jackson early

 

 

I definitely plan to visit some more of the ACC schools along the coast in the upcoming months, and I also want to probably go down to Vanderbilt, and another SEC school or two.

BDN: Have any schools stood out to you at this point in the process?

Definitely Duke, with their academics, it’s a very high, prestigious school, and Duke is a school I can really see myself at.

BDN: Do you have an idea for when you would like to make your college decision?

Not at the moment, I’m just kind of going to take it as it flows in.

BDN: Thanks a lot, Allen, and best of luck to you.

Thank you. Certainly, certainly. You too. Bye.

 

Duke Football

Duke leads for Durham athlete Phillip Williamson

Duke has extended an offer to Phillip Williamson of Jordan HS

The Blue Devils’ secondary has been area of recent concern for many Duke fans, and the coaching staff has worked hard to upgrade the depth over the past two recruiting classes. In the class of 2012, Duke has already been in contact with Durham athlete Phillip Williamson, a 6’2” 210 pound prospect from Jordan High School. The physical safety prospect earned 2010 All-Conference honors, leading Jordan to the state playoffs and a 7-5 overall record. Although it's early in the process, the Blue Devils have stood out to Phillip and are the earlier leader.

 

BDN: Can you start off by describing your strengths for fans who haven’t had a chance to see you play?

I’m a hard worker; I’m the first one on the field, last one out.  Same with the weight room, just a hard worker and a football player.

BDN: What are some of the things you’re working on this offseason?

I’m working on my speed, flexibility, and quickness.  And I’m trying to get stronger.

BDN: What are your goals for your senior season?

I want a state championship.  That’s all it is, that’s all it means to me, it’s just team.  I wouldn’t mind winning, but I really care about the team more than just myself.

BDN: As you approach your college decision, what are the most important things you are looking for in a school?

Academics and the coaching.

BDN: Is there a specific academic field you are interested in?

Sociology.

BDN: Who are the schools you have heard from the most so far?

Duke, [North] Carolina, Maryland, Wake Forest, Liberty, I got stuff from Clemson, I got stuff from Auburn, Illinois.  I got like 2 things from Oregon.  I heard from Miami, so schools like that.

BDN: Have you had a chance to visit any schools?

Unofficially, I went to Duke.  But I went to like a lot of schools, to their games.

BDN: Have any schools stood out to you at this point in the process?

Duke is the early leader for local prospect Phil Williamson

 

 

I think Duke, out of all of them, for the academics, and then it’s a building process, and I’d like to be part of a building process.

BDN: Do you have any plans for additional visits this spring or summer?

Not really.  Like, me and my parents are looking at schools to visit right now, but right now not really. I’m going to visit Duke and [North] Carolina probably a lot this spring, though.

BDN: Is there anything else you think college football fans should know about you?

I love fans hyping the game up, that really gets me, it’s all the emotion of a football game, fans really help with that.  Just keep cheering for the team and that’d be good for me.

BDN: Thanks a lot, Phillip, and best of luck.

All right.

 

BDN Premium Articles, Duke Football

Football Friday interrupts March Madness

Even in the middle of March Madness, Football Friday is back to satisfy your weekly craving for Duke football. So far, we’ve covered Duke’s incoming freshman class, football recruiting 101, and a look at the fall schedule. While we love us some good recruiting scoop here at BDN, we think it’s also just as important to talk about the players we already have. With that in mind, this week’s Football Friday takes a look at the early reviews from Duke’s 2011 spring practice. [private]

Sir Nolan Smith leads Duke to Chapel Hill - Lance King Images

Duke travels to Chapel Hill

This weekend is all about Duke vs. North Carolina. The Tar Heels have dominated the Blue Devils on the gridiron of late, and that’s a trend that we’d all like to see come to an end this fall. More importantly, however, is to come away with a victory and the #1 seed on the hardwood Saturday, and I think the Blue Devils have a great chance to do it. The two teams match up with each other poorly, and that should make for another very interesting game. In the first game, UNC had no answer for Duke’s guards, while Duke struggled to contain UNC’s bigs. Kyle Singler and Harrison Barnes essentially neutralized each other. I expect to see much of the same on Saturday, and if either team can get a boost from their bench, that could end up being the difference. It’s Duke and Carolina, with the ACC regular season championship on the line, which means we’re in for another thriller.

Recruiting news

The Blue Devils hosted 26 prospects on February 19th for the second of their junior days. The prospects took in Duke’s practice, toured the facilities, and met with the coaches.

Duke commit Erich Schneider enjoyed his visit to Durham

Current Duke commit Erich Schneider made the trip from Florida and got to spend a lot of time with Coach Middleton and the tight ends. The long distance award goes to QB Bart Houston, who flew in from California for the weekend. Houston’s recruiting has recently picked up and offers are starting to come in for the talented signal-caller. A few other prospects were in town this past weekend to take in Duke’s spring practice, including offensive lineman Andrew Jelks. Jelks told BDN he really liked Duke and had high praise for Coach Cutcliffe and Coach Luke. The top Tennessee prospect intends to make visits to Knoxville, Tuscaloosa, and Oxford, Mississippi this spring.

Congratulations are due for Duke TE commit David Reeves, who helped Greensboro High School capture a Regional Championship on the hardwood. Best of luck to David and Greensboro as they continue their quest for an Alabama State Title.

With only 12 seniors scheduled to graduate this season, the Blue Devils will be particularly selective this year with their recruiting. No new offers were extended this week, and the top targets remain the same as we discussed in our earlier Football Friday. Invitations have been sent out to prospects for the spring game on March 26, and it will be important for the Blue Devils to have a good showing, both on the field and in the stands.

Spring Practice

Duke wrapped up the first half of spring practice on Wednesday, and will take a much-needed two-week break for spring break. No coach or fan wants to hear that Duke is banged up this spring, but it’s the truth. Duke has been practicing with about 55 players this spring, which can make it difficult to assess individual performances. In particular, the Blue Devils are thin on the defensive side of the ball, where Kenny Anunike, Kelby Brown, Lee Butler, and Quan Stevenson are out for the entire spring, and other key players have missed time. At this point, everyone is expected to be healthy for the fall, which obviously is most important, but with a young team, you’d like to see players play as many snaps as possible this spring.

QB Sean Renfree is off to a good start this spring - BDN Photo

Right now, the strengths of this team should be no surprise to most fans, and it starts with the play at quarterback and receiver. Sean Renfree has had a very good start to spring practice, and Brandon Connette and Anthony Boone have also made strides since the fall. Renfree told BDN last week that he feels as comfortable as he ever has playing football, and it’s shown on the field. For the most part, he’s been on the same page with his receivers and his offensive line, which has made things difficult for the Duke defense. As we mentioned last week, the Duke offense must take a big step forward in taking care of the football if the Blue Devils are to have any success this fall. So far, Renfree and co. look poised to do just that.

For those who have followed Duke’s spring scrimmage statistics, you’ll note that the running backs have put up some impressive numbers. Josh Snead has been out with a MCL sprain, but Desmond Scott. Patrick Kurunuwe, and Juwan Thompson have played well and shown the ability to break out big runs. The real credit here goes to Duke’s offensive line, where they lose only one starter in center Bryan Morgan. Brian Moore shifts over from right guard to take the starting center spot, and Duke has been working in Conor Irwin, Joey Finison, and Dave Harding as well. Overall, the line looks much improved, and projects to start Moore at center, Kyle Hill at left tackle, Harding at left guard, John Coleman at right guard, and Perry Simmons at right tackle. Redshirt-freshmen Laken Tomlinson and Tacoby Cofield have both played well this spring and will likely back-up Coleman and Simmons this fall.

As you can expect with several starters out, defensively, Duke has had mixed results this spring. The theme on defense seems to be athleticism and inconsistency; Duke is clearly stronger and faster than they have been in past years, but they are extremely inexperienced with only 5 seniors on the entire defensive unit. The key for the Blue Devils will be the play up front, and newcomers Jamal Bruce and Jordan Dewalt-Ondijo have shown some play-making ability and will compete for playing time this fall. New DL Coach Rick Petri is working hard with his young linemen, which include 10 underclassmen. Over the course of the spring and fall, the expectation is that this group, led by returnees Charlie Hatcher, Sydney Sarmiento, and Justin Foxx, will develop under Coach Petri into a solid ACC defensive front, but there will continue to be growing pains along the way. Among the defensive backs, the Blue Devils’ athleticism has been evident, as players such as Austin Gamble, C.J. France, and Jordon Byas appear ready to contribute this fall.  Duke has the athletes on defense to improve from last season’s ACC-worst unit, and consistency will be the key to the group’s success this fall.

In summary, at this point in the spring, the offense is clearly ahead of the defense, which is what you would expect to see with a more veteran group. I think Coach Cutcliffe said it best with his assessment of the first half of spring practice: “I’m not disappointed at all. What you see is that we don’t have a lot of people who are ready to play 50 or 60 snaps of ACC football, so there’s a learning process to that.” Overall, the effort and energy from the Blue Devils has been excellent. The team continues to work hard this spring and improves each day, which is exactly what you want to see from a young team.

Next week

We’ve got lots more football prospect interviews coming your way, so be sure to check back during your March Madness downtime. Until next week, GTHC.

WE ARE DUKE.

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BDN Premium Articles, Duke Football

Duke is recruiting hard-hitting South Carolina LB Preston Durham

Chapman LB Preston Durham was named a USAF Junior All-American

In 2010, Duke coaches and fans were impressed by the play of freshman linebacker Kelby Brown. On the recruiting trail, the Duke coaching staff is searching for more hard-hitting linebackers to join Brown on the Blue Devil defense. Preston Durham is a 6’1” 205 pound linebacker from Inman, South Carolina. As a junior, Durham was named to the SC All-Region team, as he wrecked havoc on opposing offenses, totaling 130 tackles, 4 pass break-ups, 2½ sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 1 interception, and 1 blocked kick. His standout season earned him 1st team 2010 US Air Force Junior All-American honors.

BDN: Can you start out by describing your strengths as a player?

Well, I believe I have great awareness and a nose for the football, and great quickness and speed.  Can really explode through the block.

BDN: What are some of the things you have been working [private] on this offseason?

Definitely speed and size and strength.

 

BDN: What are your goals for yourself and for your team in your senior year?

I’d like to make the playoffs this year, and go as far as we can.  I’d like to eclipse my tackle record, and break all my records that I’ve set in the previous years.

BDN: What are the most important factors you’re looking for in a college?

Definitely the atmosphere of the school and the people, and the facilities is a big thing, and of course the education, and the coaching staff.

BDN: What schools have you heard the most from so far? Who were the first schools to contact you?

Duke has been contacting me, he’s come to the school a couple times, and Georgia Tech, along with – let’s see, Clemson has too.

 

BDN: Which schools have you had a chance to visit so far?

I’ve visited Duke, North Carolina, Clemson, and out of state, Tennessee and Georgia Tech.

 

BDN: Have any schools stood out to you at this point in the process, either on your visits or your contact with coaches?

Yes, I really like Duke, the coach, I really like him a lot, he’s a nice guy.  And North Carolina, I love their campus.

BDN: Do you have plans to visit any other schools this spring or summer?

Yes sir, I plan on going to Georgia Tech Junior Day in April, and I plan on going to the Clemson football camp, along with North Carolina and Duke and Georgia Tech.

BDN: At this point in the process, do you have an idea for when you would like to make your college decision?

Well, I don’t know.  I mean, I’d have to take a lot of time to think and do some research on the school and everything, but I don’t know, I’d probably do it after my senior season.

BDN: Is there anything else that you think is important for college football fans to know about you?

I have an extremely hard work ethic, and a drive inside me that I’m not gonna stop. [/private]